


Not Enough

by Babyshark35



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, Government Conspiracy, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Missing Persons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-08 04:27:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19099720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Babyshark35/pseuds/Babyshark35
Summary: Alex goes missing after finding new information about Project Shepherd that someone (who could it be?) doesn’t want him to know.





	Not Enough

**Author's Note:**

> Canon compliant through the finale with one exception. Jesse Manes was not drugged by Kyle and no one has seen him since he left for Niger.

******

Michael was sitting at the bar at the Pony drinking his umpteenth beer, wallowing in the fact that he and Isobel still hadn’t found a way to bring Max back. Michael had also totally fucked things up with Alex. His brief ‘whatever’ with Maria ended almost as quickly as it started after he got the call from Liz about Max. He ran out of the bar without a word to Maria and had been closed off to her emotionally ever since. He couldn’t handle the secrets and deceit, but also couldn’t handle telling her the truth about who he was. Too much had happened and all he wanted to do was drink and forget everything. 

Alex still hadn’t spoken to him since Michael had stood him up at the airstream that day. Alex had found out from Maria that Michael had gone to see her that day. That was almost 6 weeks ago. Michael had tried to reach out to him, but his texts remained read, but unanswered. He had heard from Liz, who had heard from Kyle, that Alex had basically cut himself off from the outside world, working tirelessly in the bunker trying to dismantle Project Shepherd, distracting himself from the hurt of Michael and Maria’s betrayal. 

Michael was pulled from his thoughts by the slamming of the bar door. It was early afternoon, so the bar was empty. Kyle walked in and hastily made a beeline for Michael. 

“Have you talked to Alex?” Kyle asked exasperated, worry etched on his face.

“No. He hasn’t been answering any of my calls or texts, but that’s not surprising considering...Why? What’s wrong?” Michael asked, instantly anxious. 

“Well he usually answers mine, but hasn’t the last two days. I’ve been stuck on a 36-hour shift at the hospital, so I haven’t seen him. I just checked the bunker and he wasn’t there. I’m going to go check out the cabin, but I figured it best to bring some back-up, just in case. He’s been delving pretty deep into the files we took from Caulfield, trying to bring down the project. Jesse Manes has also been MIA. Alex found out he left his post in Niger and no one has seen him.” Kyle explained quickly.

Michael’s heart began pounding in his chest, panic starting to overwhelm him. He had unwittingly blamed Alex for the loss of his mother and pushed him away. If something had happened to Alex, if Jesse Manes had hurt him, Michael would never forgive himself. 

“What the hell are we waiting for?” Michael asked, sobering quickly, voice rough with worry. He practically ran out the door, dragging Kyle by the arm behind him. 

When they arrived at the cabin 20 minutes later, Alex’s jeep was parked out front. Michael flew out of Kyle’s SUV before it had stopped, ran to the porch of the cabin, then froze. The door to the cabin was open, busted at the hinges, like it had been kicked in. Michael tentatively walked inside, Kyle right behind him. Chairs were turned over, lamps broken and Alex’s prosthetic was shattered across the floor. Michael reached down to pick up a piece and that’s when he saw the blood. 

Michael dropped to his knees as Kyle continued to search the cabin. This was all his fault, Michael thought. Alex was missing and hurt because he was trying to make up for the mistakes of his father, to destroy his family’s horrible legacy, all because Michael couldn’t separate Alex from his father. 

“He’s not here,” Kyle whispered, defeated. He cautiously placed his hand on Michael’s slumped shoulder. Michael flinched at the contact, but did not pull away. 

“We’ll find him,” Kyle stated, voice stronger and determined, “but we should get out of here, call Liz and Isobel and figure out what to do.”

All Michael could do was nod. 

******

Alex woke up with a pounding in his head and a chill running through his body. He slowly opened his eyes to find himself in a cold, cement room. He tried to pull his hands up to rub his face, but it felt like they were weighted. He looked down and found he was chained, handcuffs on his wrists connected to a heavy chain that was bolted to the floor. He cautiously touched his face to assess the damage. One eye was swollen shut, his lip split, and he probably had a few broken ribs. He’s had worse. When he realized he was also missing his prosthetic, he remembered how he got here. His father and two other uniform-clad goons had ambushed him at the cabin. He tried to put up a fight, but was soon overwhelmed once his father had bashed his fake leg in. They had tied him up, blindfolded him and threw him in the back of a Jeep. That’s all he could remember before he must have inevitably passed out. 

Alex had no idea where he was or how far they had driven from the cabin. Flint must have told his father about Caulfield and his father must have came back from Niger to deal with the fallout. His father probably blamed him for the explosion at the prison, even though he didn’t directly cause it. Michael blamed him for Caulfield, why not his father too. 

Michael. Just the thought of him tore apart Alex’s insides. He will never forget how he felt when Maria had told him that Michael had come to her that day. She wasn’t trying to be hurtful, just honest, but it destroyed him nonetheless. Even though Kyle had told him that nothing came of the two of them, after Max, he still couldn’t face Michael, even when Michael had tried to reach out. 

Rather than face his heartache, Alex had instead decided to dive into trying to dismantle Project Shepherd. It took him a few weeks, but eventually he was able to decrypt the files that Kyle had pulled from Caulfield and he found intel on another site. He must have inadvertently triggered some sort of security alert, because not one day later, his cabin door was being kicked in by his father. 

Now here he was. Alone, chained and at his father’s mercy. He was so fucked. 

******

Kyle had called Liz and Michael had called Isobel. They decided that the safest place for everyone to meet was the bunker, as Alex had modified all the security to keep his father out. Isobel arrived first. Kyle watched her cautiously as she walked in. She looked put together, but you could see it in her eyes that Max’s loss had taken a toll on her. She immediately pulled Michael into her arms and confidently told him that they would figure this out, that they would find Alex. 

Liz arrived next, any panic she may have had when Kyle had first called her gone, masked by pure determination to get her friend back. 

Kyle explained everything he knew about what Alex had been working on. He knew that Alex had found something when he had texted Kyle to meet him two days ago. Kyle had gotten stuck at work and had to cancel. That was the last he had heard from Alex. 

“That’s not much to go on Kyle. How are we going to find him if his father got to him?” Liz asked. 

“We have to find him. We have to. You don’t know what his father is capable of,” Michael muttered. It was the most he’d spoken since the cabin. 

“I can find him,” Isobel stated. 

“How?” Kyle asked. 

She turned to look at Michael as she spoke. “You know me...when you told me that Alex knew our secret, I had to find out if he would protect it...us...you.”

“Is, you didn’t...,” Michael whispered. 

“I did. You are my brother and I have to do what’s best for you. And you should be glad I did. He loves you, Michael, and he would do anything to protect you and since I tapped into his thoughts, we also may still have a connection. I may be able to find his location.”

“You can do that?” Liz asked. 

“I can try, but Michael I’m going to need your help.” 

******

Alex heard the rumble of keys as the door to his room opened. His father walked in and shot Alex a look of pure disgust and resentment. Flint followed closely behind, a glint of shame in his eyes at the sight of Alex chained before him. 

“Finally awake I see,” his father seethed. “I would have thought that the Air Force would have instilled more fight in you, than what you put up at the cabin.”

“You ambushed me, three on one, or three on three-quarters,” Alex shot back, glancing at his missing leg, “not exactly a fair fight.”

“Always blaming everyone else. You brought this on yourself when you decided that an alien was worth more to you than your own family.”

“He is worth so much more. Michael is my family,” Alex states defiantly. 

“Oh yeah, then where is he now? I’ve been keeping a close eye on you these last few weeks. You haven’t even been in the same zip code as that thing. Family huh? Looks like the only family you have is right here.”

Alex flinched at the truth in his father’s words. As much as Alex hoped that Michael would come for him, Alex had ignored and avoided him for the past 6 weeks. Michael may not have even realized he was missing.

“Well, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to get you on board with the project, a few things I’ve had people working on. What’s a little brainwashing between family? Soon you’ll see what I’m really capable of. You’ll be the one turning Guerin over to me. I hope you are ready.”

And with that, his father turned to walk out. Flint lingered a moment, words trapped on his lips, apologies unspoken. His father snapped his fingers and Flint was quickly out the door, which was then locked behind him. 

All Alex could think of was Michael. He couldn’t imagine turning on him, betraying him to his father. He also hadn’t fathomed the extent of the things his father was capable of...Caulfield, killing Jim Valenti, kidnapping his own son. Tugging on his chains in vain, he came to a conclusion. Alex would try to anger his father enough so that he would just kill him. He would rather die than let his father get his hands on Michael again. 

******

Isobel and Michael sat next to each other in the bunker, hands held tight. Isobel was going to try to use Michael’s emotional bond to Alex to enhance her connection to his mind. It had been 6 weeks since she had tapped into Alex’s psyche and the connection was weak. She had asked Michael to think of the memories of Alex that invoked the strongest emotions and she would use that to find him. As Michael focused, his memories flooded Isobel’s mind. The museum kiss, the before and after of the tool shed incident, the painful goodbye as Alex left to join the Air Force, the years of longing and fear while Alex was overseas, the relief of Alex coming home, the realization that he hadn’t come home in one piece, the reunion kiss, Alex walking away at the drive-in, Alex confronting Michael and asking for the truth at the junkyard, Alex walking away again, the devastation at Caulfield, Michael walking away from Alex to Maria, Michael finding out Alex had been taken and the blame he placed on himself for it. 

Tears streamed down Isobel’s cheeks as Michael’s emotions overwhelmed her. She attempted to push through all the images rushing through her mind to focus on only Alex. Blood began seeping from her nose as she focused everything she had on Alex, only Alex. Alex. 

Isobel gasped and opened her eyes. She looked at Michael beside her, tears streaming down his face as well, looking desperately at her in the hopes that bearing his soul to her was worth it. 

“I found him,” Isobel whispered. Michael practically sobbed with relief. Kyle and Liz released the breath they were holding. “We need a plan to get him out now. Alex is planning on doing something incredibly selfless and stupid.”

******

Several hours, or so Alex thought, had passed before the door opened again. This time it was only Flint who entered. 

“Flint...where’s dad? I’d like to talk to him.” Alex asked calmly, resigned to the fate he had decided upon.

“He’s incapacitated right now,” Flint replied. 

“Incapacit...” the word trailed off. “Flint what did you do?”

“I never thought that he would be capable of doing this to his own son. I mean look at you, beat to shit, missing a leg, and chained to a cold, cement floor. As much as you probably won’t believe it, you are still my brother and I love you. I’m not going to let him do this to you, even if you are defending the aliens.”

Alex looked at Flint in shock as he reached down to unlock the cuffs. Alex never would have thought Flint would turn on their father. Before he could say anything, a loud bang like a door being ripped from it’s hinges made Alex turn and look towards the open door. There was Michael, fuming with rage. He relaxed only briefly when he saw that Alex was alive, before his eyes narrowed at Flint. Flint was thrown up against the wall behind Alex before he could blink. 

“Michael, no! Stop! He’s my brother!” Alex cried loudly and Michael froze, looking from Alex to Flint. Flint had been knocked unconscious, leg bent at an odd angle, broken, but he was still breathing. 

Michael ran over to Alex without hesitation and pulled him into his arms. Alex didn’t pull away, but collapsed into the embrace. Michael quickly pulled back and ran his hands over Alex anywhere he could to assess Alex’s injuries. His rage reignited seeing what had been done to Alex and the chains around his wrists. 

“Later, Michael. We need to go,” Alex urged. 

Michael nodded and focused on the handcuffs, before they fell from Alex’s wrists. Michael hauled him up and pulled Alex’s right arm over his shoulder to steady him. Before they could move, the cold voice of Jesse Manes and the cock of a gun stopped them in their tracks. 

“Well it looks like I didn’t need to brainwash you after all, Alex. You brought it right to me. I’m going to enjoy watching you watch it being dissected.”

A shiver rippled through Alex’s body at the thought and Michael just pulled him in closer. 

Jesse glanced to Flint, unconscious on the ground. “Looks like I don’t just have one disappointment of a son, but two.” He then looked at Michael, who was staring intently at the gun aimed in their direction. 

“Now I know you aren’t thinking of trying to use your powers to take this gun out of my hand. You may think you are fast, but are you fast enough?” Jesse changed the direction of his aim directly towards Alex’s head. “Plus I have a little insurance.” He showed them a small black device in his left hand. “This place is rigged to blow just like Caulfield. I let go of this and boom. Do you want to risk it?”

Michael and Alex just looked at each other helplessly. Jesse Manes really had thought of everything.

“Now I want you to turn around and put Alex right back where you found him and come with me. If you don’t come willingly, I will make damn sure Alex suffers for it.” 

“Hey, dad?” Flint’s voice from the ground behind Michael and Alex distracted Jesse from his threat and before he could say another word, Flint fired two shots into his father’s chest and down he went. Michael dropped Alex and tried to grab the detonator before Jesse could release it, but it was too late. The alarms sounded.

“Go, Alex, now! Go!” Flint yelled. 

There was no way Michael could get both Alex and Flint out in time. Alex gave Flint a fleeting look of forgiveness and sadness, before Michael quickly pulled Alex up and threw him over his shoulder, running out of the room and the facility where Alex was being held. Michael got as far as he could away from the building before collapsing with Alex on top of him. They hit the ground right as the place exploded, taking Alex’s father and brother with it. 

******

After Kyle had called Liz and Isobel to let them know Alex was safe, he drove Michael and Alex back to Isobel’s house. He had come with Michael to rescue Alex, but had stayed outside at Michael’s insistence. Michael didn’t want Alex to go back to the cabin, but did ask Liz to pick up some of Alex’s things, his spare prosthetic and his crutches and bring them to Isobel’s. Once all the hugging and crying had worn everyone out and after Kyle had tended to Alex’s injuries, he and Liz had gone home and Isobel went to bed. 

Very few words had passed between Michael and Alex since they were reunited, but their emotions had been palpable to everyone around them. Too sore for the prosthetic, Michael helped Alex to Isobel’s guest room and over to the bed. Alex stripped to his boxers and let Michael help him get under the covers. Michael hesitated, wanting to stay, to hold him, but not sure Alex would let him. 

As if Alex could read his mind, he pulled the covers back on the other side of the bed. Michael took the invitation and stripped as well before crawling in. Michael flipped the lights off with his powers and they both laid there quietly. They were so close that each could feel the heat radiating off the other, but they did not touch. 

Michael broke the silence. 

“Can I hold you? Please?” Michael’s voice, barely a whisper, was so broken with emotion. He sobbed quietly waiting for an answer. He didn’t get one in words. Alex rolled over and burrowed into him, laying his head on Michael’s chest and tucking it under Michael’s chin. Michael instantly wrapped his arms tightly around Alex’s back and let out another sob, louder, relieved, before placing a kiss atop Alex’s head. Alex returned the embrace with equal force, wrapping his arm securely around Michael’s waist. Michael soon felt wetness on his chest as Alex began to cry, then sob. Michael just held him as Alex shook in his arms. 

No more words were spoken. There would be time for that tomorrow. Sometimes words are not enough. 

******


End file.
